- "They're not dead. Whatever else they are, they most definitely are not dead."
- ―Thomas
Pseudo-Zombies are individuals who demonstrate behavior or physical characteristics similar to a normal zombie, but are not undead. They are living, breathing organisms who are monstrous in appearance and have lost almost all semblance of their prior humanity. Pseudo-Zombies became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s and have been featured in various media such as the 28 Days Later films, the Resident Evil video game/film franchise and the Crossed comic book series. In the 28 Days Later film series, the Pseudo-Zombie characters are referred to as Rage Infected.
Infected[]
These are people who have been infected with a virus developed by a British research laboratory. Although they are not zombies in the clinical sense, the Infected demonstrate behavioral traits and physical abnormalities similar to those of a traditional zombie. The infection outbreak originated in England in 2002 when a group of animal rights activists broke into a primate research center and released a monkey which had been subjected to chemical and electrical experimentation. According to one technician from the site, these lab animals were infected with "rage", the symptoms of which included wild, violent convulsions and a primal need to destroy everything within its vicinity. The "rage" virus was transmitted through blood or saliva. Once a person became infected, the virus required only twenty seconds before infection was complete. [1]
The Crossed[]
The Crossed are similar to zombies in terms of appearance and behavior, but they are not undead. They are people who have been altered through mysterious circumstances into depraved lunatics, who act on primal, base instinct. The Crossed earned their name due to the cross-shaped scar that develops on their faces once they have been infected. According to a man named Randall, "they have so much evil in them... that it just has to get used up." The Crossed primarily target non-infected victims, but in lieu of such prey, are known to turn against one another; a trait that sets them apart even further from normal zombies, who almost never attack each other. Another important element of the Crossed is that they do not perceive physical pain the same way that normal humans do. To a large extent, they are sadomasochistic, deriving intense pleasure from physical injury.
Slashers[]
Slashers are a breed of undead featured in the Hack/Slash comic book franchise. They are not zombies in the Romero-esque sense, as they are not necessarily flesh-eaters, though they certainly can be if one feels so inclined. They also differentiate from classic zombies in that they maintain at least some measure of intellect, though it is often governed by anger, pain, and a thirst to avenge themselves against the world. The means by how one becomes a slasher is unclear, though the act of dying does seem to be a prerequisite - at least for some. The term "slasher" was attributed to these monsters by Cassie Hack. Classically however, "slasher" has always been used to describe some masked maniac with a bladed weapon, hacking up unsuspecting teens at a campground or in some suburban neighborhood in Anytown, USA. Cassie Hack, who always felt like something of a monster on the inside herself, has dedicated her life towards hunting down and destroying Slashers wherever they appear. She is accompanied by her gentle giant partner, Vlad, who is a deformed man who gives the appearance of being a slasher but is in fact human. The first Slasher that Cassie ever encountered was actually her own mother - dubbed "The Lunch Lady" due to her profession as a cook at Cassie's high school.
Pseudo-Zombie characters[]
| Character | Film/Series |
|---|---|
| Donald Harris | 28 Weeks Later |
| Frank | 28 Days Later |
Appearances[]
Films[]
Comics[]
Notes[]
- Pseudo-Zombie, Pseudo-zombie, and Pseudo-zombies all redirect to this page.
External Links[]
- Pseudo-Zombies at Wikibound
- Pseudo-Zombies at Zombiepedia
- Pseudo Zombies at the Superpower Wiki
- Pseudo-Zombies at the 28 Days Later Wiki
References[]
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